Justice Department will challenge Texas Voter ID law

The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday that it will challenge Texas's Voter ID law, saying it violates the Voting Rights Act, as well as the Constitution's 14th and 15th Amendments.

In a separate case, the Justice Department will also join in a challenge to the state's GOP-drawn redistricting plans.

The decisions come just weeks after the Supreme Court struck down part of the act that determines which jurisdictions require the Justice Department to approve any electoral changes before they become law. Texas had previously been subject to the so-called "preclearance."